Posted: June 4, 2024

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For some reason, there is a lot of confusion regarding pronouns. This, I think, stems from an inability to accept those in the LGBTQIA+ community who’ve changed their pronouns, paired with a lack of understanding. This confusion comes from those who say, “I refuse to use pronouns at all!” Kind of silly, isn’t it? So, what’s the real deal with pronouns? What are they and how are they used?

What is a Pronoun?

A pronoun is a word such as she or who which refers to a noun. It is used in place of that noun to pair with a verb. You must take special care with pronouns, as their meaning comes from the words they refer to.

Pronouns can function one of three ways in a sentence, and that’s all to do with which case they take on.

Pronoun Cases

The Subjective Case

The subjective case indicates that the word is a subject or subject complement.

• e.g. I like ice cream.
• e.g. He walks to school.
• e.g. They store nuts for the winter. (squirrels)
• e.g. It is a field more common for women. (zoology)
• e.g. You need to calm down.

The Objective Case

The objective case indicated that the word is an object of a verb or preposition

Object of verb

• e.g. Come with me.
• e.g. I’m not going anywhere with you.
• e.g. The entire fortune is going to her.
• e.g. The video about new procedures played for us.
• e.g. The event was all about them.

The Possessive Case

The possessive case indicates that the word owns or is the source of a noun in the sentence.

Note: Some nouns, while not fully irregular, have form changes.

• e.g. Come to my house. This house is mine.
• e.g. Can I have some of your fries? Is that yours?
• e.g. Her eyes were bright. All this sorrow was hers.
• e.g. Its beak struck at me. The lion shook its mane.
• e.g. Their car came into view. This whole property is theirs?

More on Irregular Plurals

Irregular plurals can come in many shapes in the English language. The chart below offers a few different types.

Note: Grammar and style checkers have difficulty with pronoun cases. They may flag many appropriate uses of pronouns, yet miss others that are incorrect. Check each use of pronouns carefully, and if you are going to be publishing your work, always trust a professional editor to make the necessary corrections.

For further information, see my other Grammar articles:

Sources:

Aaron, J.E. & Morrison, A. The Little, Brown Compact Handbook, 5th Canadian ed. Pearson, 2013, chap 5